EAC Releases Three Quick Start Management Guides

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) issued new Quick Start Management Guides for state and local election officials that provide guidance on three areas of election administration: technology in elections, elections office administration, and accessibility. The guides are available in the EAC Election Resource Library.

By issuing the recommendations, EAC fulfills a mandate under the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to provide assistance to states on election administration. This latest guidance augments EAC’s popular Quick Start Management Guide series, a collection of 21 brochures on election management fundamentals, from planning for contingencies and managing polling places to administering provisional ballots and canvassing and certifying an election.

The purpose of the Quick Start guides is to provide a brief overview of key election management topics. It complements the Election Management Guidelines (EMG), a collection of chapters that provide in-depth guidance on the same topics. EAC plans to release EMG chapters for these three topics this summer.

The Quick Starts were developed with input from the election community, including election officials, voter advocates and election experts. Following is a summary of each Quick Start Management Guide and links to download them:

Technology in Elections provides examples of how local election officials use technology to more efficiently add voters to the voter registration database, manage the day-to-day work of a government agency, conduct outreach to voters, including those serving in the military, and track activities on Election Day. The Quick Start Management Guide also includes information on how to plan for the replacement of technology.

Elections Office Administration discusses managing internal office processes such as records retention, preparing for an election with the use of an election calendar, managing facilities and equipment, staffing the elections office and polls on Election Day, collecting statistical data and budgeting.

Accessibility reviews managing an accessible elections office, conducting outreach, and providing an accessible voting experience for all voters. The Guide also includes a list of resources for election administrators.

EAC encourages all election officials to take advantage of these free resources by downloading them from the EAC Web site or ordering copies by calling EAC toll free at (866) 747-1471. Other topics covered in the Quick Start Management Guide series include:

• Serving Voters in Long-Term Care Facilities
• Provisional Ballots
• Canvassing and Certifying an Election
• Conducting a Recount
• Central Count Optical Scan Ballots
• Uniformed and Overseas Voters
• Developing an Audit Trail
• Polling Places and Vote Centers
• Managing Change in an Elections Office
• Media and Public Relations
• Contingency and Disaster Planning
• Absentee Voting and Vote by Mail
• Acceptance Testing
• Voting System Certification
• Voting System Security
• Poll Workers
• Ballot Preparation/Printing and Pre-Election Testing
• New Voting Systems

For additional information about EAC election administration resources, including voters’ guides and translated materials to assist jurisdictions covered under the Voting Rights Act, go to www.eac.gov/election.

EAC is an independent commission created by the Help America Vote Act. EAC serves as a national clearinghouse and resource of information regarding election administration. It is charged with administering payments to states and developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines, and accrediting voting system test laboratories and certifying voting equipment. It is also charged with developing and maintaining a national mail voter registration form. The three EAC commissioners are Donetta Davidson, chair; Gineen Bresso Beach; and Gracia Hillman. There is one vacancy on the commission.